With the prospect of spending a week alone in the AUIP office, I decided to follow the rest of the team’s example of heading off on various work and leisure travel adventures. Having never been to Queensland, the “Sunshine State,” I decided this was the perfect place for a Southern Hemisphere end-of-winter destination.
First stop was a few days in Brisbane where I explored what seemed to be a tropical city (complete with water dragons running around). I spent time in Brisbane walking around the beautiful parklands and gardens and the Southbank area with museums, galleries and a manmade beach!
Staying at the modern and very comfortable Brisbane City YHA gave me the opportunity to meet people from all around the world with whom to share travel tips and adventures, Check out the view of the city from the rooftop terrace!
Next stop was Fraser Island a World Heritage-listed site. As the largest sand island in the world, Fraser requires four wheel drive to get around. With a tour group, I spent time exploring natural wonders such as Lake Biriban, a fresh water lake surrounded by pure white sound and rainforests (the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes at elevations of over 200 meters). As well as wildlife spotting at Indian Heads, which gave us glimpses of whales, sharks and turtles, to mention a few species.
Fraser Island is approximately a 3.5-hour drive from Brisbane and with many tour companies offering day tours from Brisbane, Noosa, Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast, it is an excellent option for those free days on the South Queensland Program!
After Fraser Island, I travelled north to the relatively undiscovered small beachside town of Agnes Water and 1770. From here I went on a day trip out to Lady Musgrave Island, the southernmost point of the Great Barrier Reef where, despite the horrible weather, I spent an amazing day snorkeling on the Reef.
It was a jam-packed but incredible week! I felt like every day I was seeing something new and exciting but within the week I had only seen a tiny part of Queensland and there’s still so much to see and do! I would thoroughly recommend Queensland as a study abroad or travel destination…I’m already planning my next trip toward North Queensland
-Written by Sheena Crawford
